![]() Hopefully, Putin is not so far gone as to take such a dark view of US intentions and act based on those. Historically, wars stemming from miscalculations and paranoia about the intentions of “the other side” are not uncommon. Throughout this war, though, some have questioned whether Putin is acting in irrational ways or has cut himself off from good information. Now, after the Donald Trump experience, it’s probably true that foreign leaders no longer assume whatever comes out of the president’s mouth is the carefully considered policy of the United States. Biden has said many times that he does not want war between the US and Russia, and he reiterated that Monday, but the question is whether Putin understands that. The big one was that Putin would interpret this as an escalation and that tensions between the nuclear-armed US and nuclear-armed Russia would get even worse, hurting efforts to negotiate a settlement in Ukraine and raising the risks of war. Given the horrendous loss of life and destruction caused by Putin’s war of choice in Ukraine, it certainly makes emotional sense for many across the world to yearn for his downfall (and indeed, some cheered Biden’s comments).īut that statement coming from the president of the United States carried some weighty implications - and risks. Thank you.Īdministration officials soon put out the word to reporters that those nine bolded words were not in Biden’s prepared text and that the president went off-script in saying them. We will have a different future - a brighter future rooted in democracy and principle, hope and light, of decency and dignity, of freedom and possibilities.įor God’s sake, this man cannot remain in power. Ukraine will never be a victory for Russia - for free people refuse to live in a world of hopelessness and darkness. Brutality will never grind down their will to be free. After speaking from his prepared text for nearly half an hour, Biden concluded as follows - I’ve bolded the noteworthy line:Ī dictator bent on rebuilding an empire will never erase a people’s love for liberty. You can watch the speech or read a transcript of it. The comment came during a speech Biden gave in Warsaw, Poland, Saturday evening, at the tail end of a dayslong trip to Europe filled with diplomatic meetings, and hours after he’d met with Ukrainian refugees. What did Biden say, and what was the context? But in part that may be because Biden’s administration seems to have successfully made clear that his comments should not in any way be taken literally. Russia has not responded with further escalation against the US, so that risk might not have materialized. But he isn’t “supposed” to say that because he holds the role and responsibilities of the president of the United States.Īmong those responsibilities is that he shouldn’t do anything that carelessly raises the risk of war. ![]() The “truth” is that, like many, he’s appalled by Putin’s behavior and the tragic loss of life in Ukraine, and he deeply wishes Putin weren’t in power. That’s largely what Biden has done (and what he has often done throughout his career). ![]() Journalist Michael Kinsley once wrote that “a gaffe is when a politician tells the truth - some obvious truth he isn’t supposed to say.” He was only, he said, expressing moral “outrage.” ![]() ![]() President Biden’s off-script comment from Saturday that Vladimir Putin “cannot remain in power” has continued to follow him around this week, as he’s sought to clarify that he didn’t exactly mean what he appeared to say.īiden told reporters Monday that he was not “articulating a policy change” or “talking about taking down Putin,” and emphasized he badly wanted to avoid a larger war with Russia. ![]()
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